The Worst Hit Song of All Time
Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found it!
Now bear in mind, this isn't necessarily the worst song ever recorded, bar none. It is impossible for anyone to state that, even myself--at least to a reasonable certainty. I mean, 20,000 songs are released every year. Who can listen to all of those?
But there is one song I feel quite comfortable in endorsing as the worst song ever to hit the charts. It was a 1971 hit by Lou Stallman and Bobby Susser, performed under the name Think: "(Things Get a Little Easier) Once You Understand." (Yes, yes, so it only hit Number 23 on the charts. But that's Top 40! It counts!) The link in the song title will take you to a page that contains a Real Audio file. Give this one a listen; it's horrible, sure, but you have to hear it to understand. And things get a little easier once you understand. (Thanks to Culture Raven for the link.)
Did I say horrible? I meant a colossal disaster. A train wreck. The Manos, the Hands of Fate of pop singles.
And yet...it's a puzzle. This flaming sack of dog poopey is a message-song (well, more like a jingle with some spoken melodramas over top) aimed at bridging the generation gap...but who is it that things will get a little easier for, once they understand? The parents? Or the kids? And what do they now understand? There's actually considerable debate about this; I've read commentary from people whose junior-high-school guidance counselor made them listen to it, and heard stories of parents whose teenage sons solemnly gave them the record and said "Just listen to it." But neither side can say for sure that their opposition is the one who needs to understand in order for things to get easier.
If it's the kid who now understands...well, for one thing, what the fuck does the kid understand now? He's DEAD!!!! If he can't manage a reflexive action, like, say, DRAWING A BREATH, he probably can't much wrap his head around "obey your parents and don't do drugs." Assuming that's what the late Robert Cook is supposed to learn, of course; alternative lessons apparently include "Mom doesn't trust you because you're a big fat liar," "You're wasting your life away with foolish things (but my bridge club and ladies' groups and my daytime programs, that's different)," "If you can't figure that out for yourself you're stupid," and "There's a little bit more to life than joining a group and playing guitar." Whichever lesson is the correct one, apparently the only way to learn it is The Hard Way: death by drug overdose. So much for the girl's mother who says "Someday you'll thank me."
And that's another thing. Who the Hell would WANT to listen to such awful, insensitive people as the adults in this song? The word "uptight" was made for these parents: the father who says "Don't argue with your mother! Just shut up and listen!" The mother who insists, "You better be home at ten, or don't bother to come home at all!" And you wonder what about his/her life could possess a kid to go out and shoot up?
All right then, the lesson must be for the parents. And they are supposed to learn..."Never ask your children to do things for you when you're sick"? Or, "Curfews lead your teenage son down The Dark Path"? Or, "If you want your kid to stay drug-free, NEVER ask him to get a haircut"? Or, as writers Jimmy Guterman and Owen O'Donnell phrase it, "If you don't approve of everything your teenaged child does, he will kill himself just to spite you"?
And who the Hell would EVER approve of such spoiled, nasty kids as the teenagers in this song? The word "ingrate" was made for these kids: the boy who says to his sick mother, "Oh come on, Ma! What do you want from me?" The girl who wimpers, "But mom! All my friends will be there!" The FIRST thing the kids should be thankful to their parents for is that they didn't send these little bastards to Camp Tough Love, where they clearly would fit right in.
Point is, no matter what the message is or who it's for, it's a lousy message and poorly articulated.
Actually, scratch that. We can all agree that there is one major point that is thoroughly, even incessantly made in this song:
Things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand;
things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand...
Now bear in mind, this isn't necessarily the worst song ever recorded, bar none. It is impossible for anyone to state that, even myself--at least to a reasonable certainty. I mean, 20,000 songs are released every year. Who can listen to all of those?
But there is one song I feel quite comfortable in endorsing as the worst song ever to hit the charts. It was a 1971 hit by Lou Stallman and Bobby Susser, performed under the name Think: "(Things Get a Little Easier) Once You Understand." (Yes, yes, so it only hit Number 23 on the charts. But that's Top 40! It counts!) The link in the song title will take you to a page that contains a Real Audio file. Give this one a listen; it's horrible, sure, but you have to hear it to understand. And things get a little easier once you understand. (Thanks to Culture Raven for the link.)
Did I say horrible? I meant a colossal disaster. A train wreck. The Manos, the Hands of Fate of pop singles.
And yet...it's a puzzle. This flaming sack of dog poopey is a message-song (well, more like a jingle with some spoken melodramas over top) aimed at bridging the generation gap...but who is it that things will get a little easier for, once they understand? The parents? Or the kids? And what do they now understand? There's actually considerable debate about this; I've read commentary from people whose junior-high-school guidance counselor made them listen to it, and heard stories of parents whose teenage sons solemnly gave them the record and said "Just listen to it." But neither side can say for sure that their opposition is the one who needs to understand in order for things to get easier.
If it's the kid who now understands...well, for one thing, what the fuck does the kid understand now? He's DEAD!!!! If he can't manage a reflexive action, like, say, DRAWING A BREATH, he probably can't much wrap his head around "obey your parents and don't do drugs." Assuming that's what the late Robert Cook is supposed to learn, of course; alternative lessons apparently include "Mom doesn't trust you because you're a big fat liar," "You're wasting your life away with foolish things (but my bridge club and ladies' groups and my daytime programs, that's different)," "If you can't figure that out for yourself you're stupid," and "There's a little bit more to life than joining a group and playing guitar." Whichever lesson is the correct one, apparently the only way to learn it is The Hard Way: death by drug overdose. So much for the girl's mother who says "Someday you'll thank me."
And that's another thing. Who the Hell would WANT to listen to such awful, insensitive people as the adults in this song? The word "uptight" was made for these parents: the father who says "Don't argue with your mother! Just shut up and listen!" The mother who insists, "You better be home at ten, or don't bother to come home at all!" And you wonder what about his/her life could possess a kid to go out and shoot up?
All right then, the lesson must be for the parents. And they are supposed to learn..."Never ask your children to do things for you when you're sick"? Or, "Curfews lead your teenage son down The Dark Path"? Or, "If you want your kid to stay drug-free, NEVER ask him to get a haircut"? Or, as writers Jimmy Guterman and Owen O'Donnell phrase it, "If you don't approve of everything your teenaged child does, he will kill himself just to spite you"?
And who the Hell would EVER approve of such spoiled, nasty kids as the teenagers in this song? The word "ingrate" was made for these kids: the boy who says to his sick mother, "Oh come on, Ma! What do you want from me?" The girl who wimpers, "But mom! All my friends will be there!" The FIRST thing the kids should be thankful to their parents for is that they didn't send these little bastards to Camp Tough Love, where they clearly would fit right in.
Point is, no matter what the message is or who it's for, it's a lousy message and poorly articulated.
Actually, scratch that. We can all agree that there is one major point that is thoroughly, even incessantly made in this song:
Things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand;
things get a little easier, once you understand; things get a little easier, once you understand...
posted by Michael J. West at 11:04 PM
56 Comments:
Sounds bad, but I still think the worst self-righteous pop song (no idea if it was a hit) was Neil Diamond's The Pot Song. Pot, pot, gimme some pot...forget who you are, you can be who you're not! Complete with testimonials on people whose lives were destroyed by the menace that is marijuana.
Nice post. Begs the question, "why?" As in, "Why did you spend your time finding, and listening to, and attempting to understand, and reading criticism of, and thinking about... this song?" Are you into torture? Do you like hurting yourself? Use a knife! It probably doesn't put lesions on your brain like this nightmare of sound. This could psychologically traumatize you, beyond your obvious pre-existing psychological damage. Why do you like CRAP? Are there so many good things in your life that you take time out just to compare them to something so bad? You actively searched this out. Did you hear this song on the radio? Call up the DJ? Ask, "hey DJ man, what was that shit?" DID YOU? Goddamit, man. STOP. I'd hate to see you fade away into the irony. Mike? MIKE? Come back! Oh, no! He's being sucked up into his own mind! His legs are up to his knees in his ears! There they go! Man, that crotch-ripping sound is worse than the song that did this to him! Weird... he has no armpit hair under that arm...
I do it for YOU, that's why! As a public service for my disciples and dear readers! I listen to the worst hit single ever released so you don't have to!
Every song ever made by enima Opps Eminem qualifies as the worst songs ever made. I almost forgot about his brainless house negro protégé "50 cent".
Mike, always remember ... when you look too long into the Abyss, the Abyss looks bakc at you ...
Or something like that ...
More of this sort of thing, and you'll be going around singing these songs. At that point, the only humane thing to do would be to put you down.
What a psycho. You have to wonder if this crockpot spambrain really means it when he says "disciples." I mean, yes, Lord, yes.
Y'alls what lives in DC:
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/07/drop-by-santorums-book-signing-in-dc.html
First of all, Joe, I'm the only person here who lives in DC. :-)
Second of all, your comment is wildly off topic. For shame! ;-)
Third of all, I'd actually love to go to this book signing, if only it wasn't 24 blocks from my office and 100 degrees outside (and half over by the time I go to lunch). :-D
Hey, just cut work early...say your dog is sick or something ;-)
Actually, the family's last name is Kirke. 4hero sampled this awesomely bad song for their techno monster "Mr. Kirke's Nightmare."
I laugh at you novices that attempt to define a song as "the worst." One of the beauties of this song is that it strikes home in 70s top 40 music yet most of you younger generationalists are in denial; as the author of this blog demonstrates. Truly (TGAE)OYU is a mini opera, most novices miss those points. Take a couple music theory, lyric, poetry, late sixties and early seventies history classes then repost. Oh and I own both the promo and two other stock copy variants of this record.
Dear Anonymous,
Mini-opera or not, of its time or not, the song is a piece of shit. I would bristle at your pompous attempts to insult my intelligence and/or comprehension of this flaming sack of dog excrement, but by virtue of your admission to owning three copies of "Once You Understand," you make far more of an ass of yourself than anything I, or anybody else, could say or do.
what's a "younger generationalist?" is that even a word? "gene rationalist," maybe? i'm lost.
Mr. West, I'm authority on at least five genres of popular music and one of the top collector's of novelty recordings in the United States. Don't attempt "Pop Musicology" writings you fail miserably to stimulate academia. Or at least mine...or any my students.
You are agonizingly weak as writer!
Cheers!
Mr. Anonymous,
Everything in your previous comment is a lie. Although your ideas about yourself are cute.
Ta!
Bobby Susser and Lou Stallman are the ones who wrote and produced the hit single "Once You Understand." They had a big hit with this in 1972. Stallman has been a succesful songwriter since 1957. Bobby Susser is one of the most successful award winning songwriter/producers of young chidren's recordings for many many years. Together, they wrote pop hits together and "Once You Understand" had the most impact on society internationally. The rhythm section coupled with the unique structure of this song (mini opera), and its content has people talking about it to this very moment. It's a rare contribution and very sincere. People who ridicule this successful effor should ask themselves what they have done to even attempt to make such an effort.
man... anon is certainly quite full of himself.
a novely song had social impact? where? how?
since when was the mini-opera "unique" in 1972? (damn you pete townesend! damn you brian wilson! damn all of you!)
and that last sentence is quite a lame argument. what have you done to better the holocaust? (whoops.)
Mr. West, I'm grateful I hit on your blog when I Googled "Once You Understand." I was 12 when the single was released in 1972, and I swear to you, no one but me - and apparently you - remembers this song!
Honestly, I was beginning to think I'd imagined the whole thing, from the name of the artist to the song itself. The fact that - being a kid - the song actually frightened me, and I'd switch stations when it came on the radio, only fueled my worries that I'd dreamed the whole thing. Thank you for restoring my faith in my own sanity (OK, what's left of it).
Wow...Mr. West, that was quite the commentary on this song. I know I'll get flamed for this but I actually ordered the 45 in 1972 because it was sold out. I like it in a very weird, train-wreck, sort of way. I still enjoy it now I think because it reminds me of the campy movies they showed us in Jr. High about not doing drugs because you'll "fly" off a building or the "Blue Boy" episode of Dragnet. I guess I'm saying that I love it for the very reasons you hate it. Strange, I know... but it's the truth! :)
Cheers!
You people are amazing ---especially the owner of this website. No it's not Frank Sinatra - Billy Joel or the Beatles...but it's a sign of the times that was back in 1970. did my dad say get a hair cut - sure...did they tell me as long as I lived in their house I had to follow the rules...sure did. Did that make the bad or did they make them wrong....I don't think so. It was the time. There was a lot of screwed up things back then...drugs long hair hatred by all sides. consider the time...consider that we have a lot of the same things in 2006 as well - just disguised as other things.
did my dad say get a hair cut - sure...did they tell me as long as I lived in their house I had to follow the rules...sure did. Did that make the bad or did they make them wrong....I don't think so. It was the time.
What does that have to do with the fact that the song is lousy?
I personally know the gentlemen that wrote this song- Lou Stallman- and I can tell you that he is very proud of this song. You must understand- no pun intended- that this was released at a very different time when people actually spoke like this. While it is in no way a masterpiece, I think it did stike a chord with many listener's, or it would not have been a top 40 "HIT". Say what you will, but this was a HIT song, and nothing you can say will change that.
Joeb,
Thanks for the comment. If Mr. Stallman is proud of the song, so much the better for him - certainly nothing I say will change that. And of course, I don't deny it's a hit song. Or want to change it. If I did, it would no longer be "The worst hit song of all time."
And while I appreciate the fact that it struck a chord with listeners, so did "MacArthur Park," "(You're) Having My Baby," "2 Legit 2 Quit," and "Baby One More Time." Each of which is better than "(Things Get A Little Easier) Once You Understand."
What have you ever written that had an impact on people. Lou Stallman is the writer of many HIT songs- "The Treasure of Love", "Round & Round", It's Gonna Take A Miracle"- just to name a few. Why don't you show him some respect. It sounds to me like you're a frustrated songwriter who could only dream of writing a HIT song. The only thing you're capable of is bashing other people's work.
What have you ever written that had an impact on people.
Well, this article, for one. It had such an impact on you that you wrote to the author about it - twice.
Lou Stallman is the writer of many HIT songs- "The Treasure of Love", "Round & Round", It's Gonna Take A Miracle"- just to name a few.
That is true. He's written several hits, some of them pretty good. That makes absolutely no difference in the question of whether "Once You Understand" is any good.
Why don't you show him some respect.
I haven't shown him any disrespect. I have shown the SONG disrespect, and I have done so because it deserves disrespect. It's terrible. Obviously Mr. Stallman is capable of much better, and what would be disrespectful towards him would be to pretend that "Once You Understand" is worthy of his talent and reputation, when in fact it's shite.
It sounds to me like you're a frustrated songwriter who could only dream of writing a HIT song.
Does it? Huh. I've never actually tried to write a song. While it might be nice to write a HIT (why do you insist on putting the word in all caps?) song, I don't particularly dream of it. My interests lie elsewhere.
The only thing you're capable of is bashing other people's work.
That's not the ONLY thing I'm capable of. I can also cook, I know the history and geography of Washington D.C. backwards and forwards, and I kick ass at Trivial Pursuit. Oh, and I have perfect pitch, although that doesn't do me much good at the moment since I don't play music.
Still, I do have a particular predilection for bashing (and praising) other people's work. But I'm not simply capable. I'm quite good at it, actually. And rather successful, too.
Like most reviewer's you're pathetic. Get a life and stop feeding off of other people. Create something yourself instead of writing about others.
And like most people you're unable to respond to an argument on its merits and resort to worthless insults. Thanks for playing! We have some lovely parting gifts for you.
this "song" sure sucks
I love this song and I've loved it since it came out when I was 8. I used to get goosebumps wondering what drug the son OD'd on. and the father's agonizing cries at the end just made me feel all sad for his loss. I grew up later on to make gouges in vinyl records for entertainment, finding a good scream, or a drumbeat and skipping the record with a safety pin and I must have 4 or 5 different copies of this 7" that I've 'treated' for my own entertainment. ANyone who reads too much into this song - or any other pop/novelty song - is completely missing the point of entertainment. Dissing this song is like saying "Timothy" by the Buoys is a song that justsifies cannibalism. Pshaw!!! Lighten up and laugh along with it! Act it out! have some fun, people. Jeez!!1
Having listened to tens of thousands of pop songs in my nearly 50 years, I'd have to agree -- this is the worst song to hit the Top 40 ever, bar none. I'd have to believe its placing on the charts was based almost exclusively on airplay; surely no more than a handful of people actually bought this purile thing. When was the last time you ever heard this on the radio? I suspect if you called your local oldies station, they probably don't even have it in their library.
It's not even a song, it's really just a chant with lame, badly-acted dialogue on top. And what exactly what is it we are supposed to "understand"? That the kids are ungrateful slackers? That the parents are clueless drones? What? What? I want things to get a little easier, but I don't understand!!
Was that your sign or your sex partner preference? Sheep? I'm guessing the latter. You are an idiot. Why to dopey looking sissy like you spend all your time being a critic? Oh I know, because you can sit behind your computer in a dark room in your mommy and daddy's house and act bad and not face anyone man to man. Of course you need to be a man first don't you sheep fvcker?
...
...
...what?
So I was listening to "IT - the history of pop music" on XM just now, and they played this song. That's four minutes of my life I'll never get back. Gugh. What a horrible mess!
I heard this song earlier this morning, and decided to do some research on it, when I found your blog.
The song itself had a "Brady Bunch" feel to it. The banter between the parents and teens gave me a laugh (yeah, the parents seemed a little TOO overbearing), but the ending with the cop and grieving father made my jaw drop. It's like, how does such a peppy, cheesy song turn so morbid in such a quick amount of time. That's not supposed to happen in songs!
I swear I was made to listen - or possibly even sing along(!) to this song at some church-related youth group in the early 70s. Thank god I never heard the end back then, or maybe i just blocked it out.
No wonder I grew up so messed up. Thanks, dad!
Michael - I appreciate you posting this. I have been looking for this song for a long time. My parents used to have this on some old record and me and my bro used to listen to it when we were kids (and make fun of it). We thought it was really cool then and hearing it again just took me right back to those days. I thought I'd never hear it again and then came across your web posting. Thanks!
It is a horrible song, however, some good did come out of it.
4 Hero - Mr. Kirk's Nightmare is a classic.
Give it a listen, such a good tune and its main sample comes from the song.
This song is AWESOME. You people have no taste. And the message? Look, dum-dums, "things get a little easier" when overbearing conservative parents and their whiny liberal hippy kids try to understand EACH OTHER. Otherwise, somebody ends up DEAD! Get it? Jeez.
By the way, how stupid is it that posts show the time but not the date? Hey, "9:38AM". What day? What year, for that matter? (jeez)
I'm not the original Anonymous who posted here - this is my first post.
Mike, you are absolutely clueless. I listened to a TON of songs while growing up that sucked SO much more than the one you've chosen to anoint! Your lack of understanding of the cultural context is absolutely pathetic, and your arrogance and conceit is positively overwhelming.
The Seventies had a lot of the human tragedy songs - "DOA", "Timothy", "One Tin Soldier", "Ode to Billy Joe", "Tie a Yellow Ribbon", "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", "Billy, Don't Be a Hero", and the list goes on - of varying quality. "TGALE(OYU)" wasn't the best of the best, but it sure as HELL wasn't the worst!
(My personal nomination for all-time worst of the '70s is "Having My Baby", tied with "Muskrat Love" - and I LIKE the Captain and Tenille!)
It was the Seventies, and it was a time that you CAN'T reconstruct with a lame-ass half-hour sitcom or sincerely ugly fashions that never should have been exhumed once they were dead and buried (although why anyone would REALLY want to reconstruct the '70s anyway is a COMPLETE mystery).
Should you deign to pontificate about something in the future, you should at least learn about it.
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again."
- A. Pope -
I have been looking for this song for a long time. It is classic trash and I love you for it (maybe). What can you play this with? I have the usual (winamp, windows media player). Tried downloading a few ram players but had no luck. Do I need to rip it?
Ooooh, the incredible flaming going on in this blog/thread! It's worthy of "The McLaughlin Group" or Fox News!
Anyway, since this was a 1971/early 70's tune, it's right on the heels of the Vietnam Anti-War movement. There were lots of songs made throughout that time and the late 60's to either talk pro or anti just about everything. In other words, the song was a "sign of the times".
Anyhoo, I heard this song through the AOL XM Radio links for the 70's XM Radio channel. The only word I could think of was "bizarre". Very weeeeeeiiiiirrrrd stuff! But then again, so was "Heroin" by The Velvet Underground. ;-)
Perhaps the purpose of the song wasn't to label the adults as "overbearing conservative parents" and the teenagers as "whiny liberal hippy kids", but to get people to take a look at them from a third-person perspective. Instead of you playing the role of "the adult" or the role of "the child", you play the role of "observer".
Listen to how they talk to each other, but nobody listens. When nobody listens, people can't understand. The Father losing his son to a drug overdose is probably meant to hit that message home to listen to one another.
Perhaps the title of the song is meant to be facetious - or maybe the dialogue of the adults & teens arguing is meant to be facetious. Perhaps these were things observed or experienced by the writer and he decided to put them all together in a song meant as a "work of art" or as a protest/political song.
Best thing to do would be to go to the source - ask either Lou Stallman or Bob Susser what the heck message they were trying to convey.
Other than that, it sounds like the "song" is as divisive as The Clintons: Love it or loathe it!
~Markus
Hey Mike first of all you are only 29 years of age. I was 13 when things get a little easier came out. Nam was going on, Race riots all over the country and I was at an impressionable age. Do drugs or not to do drugs. I personally liked the song. If it wasn't for google I would have never found it. If you weren't even born when it came out. Then Shut up dude. U do not deserve an opinion!
If you weren't even born when it came out. Then Shut up dude. U do not deserve an opinion!
That's the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard in my lfie.
Once You Understand was good for a laugh. Of course, for worst song, it's amazing you missed "Stay Awhile" by The Bells. "How he makes me quiver ..." just hearing that line makes me shudder in horror
I had the misfortune of taking Lou Stallman's songwriting workshop in the late 80's. As bad a songwriter as he may appear to be, he was a worse teacher, often using and humiliating his students.
But getting back to the song in question, I agree.
It really sucks!!
I must admit that I was too brief in my comment about the song, "Once You Understand". The reason why it doesn't work is that to begin with it attempts to deal with issues like the generation gap and teenage suicide all within the space of a 3 minute record which is noble but it fails because the dialogue is forced and cliched with stereotyping of roles while an incessant droning hook is sung in the background. A well crafted folk song would more effectively get point across. For an example of how to handle the generation gap, listen to Cat Stevens's "Father and Son".
This song helped me when I thought no one cared. It kept me from loosing my mind in the early 70's when my girlfriend ran away. My Dad was sexual abusing me and my Mom didn't care....I know you'll never understand.....I just wanted someone, anyone to understand. I wasn't a bad kid just ann abused kid. back then they really didn't investagate silly things like this. sometimes i think they go overboard but till you have been there you'll never understand.
We can all post our opinions and that is terrific. This song isn't art, it's pop culture. Unless we were that age (in your teens or an adult struggling to raise seemingly rebellious kids, say in your mid to late 30's?) at that time, it's not going to register as anything meaningful. It's very easy to listen to any song these days a minute, a day, a week after you hear it and deconstruct it. It was a much simpler time quickly becoming complicated. As a musician, this is not great. Very little "music" released these days even good. Think about this; how many aspiring musicians in the now listen to the material out there and try to figure out how it's PLAYED? This thing was one of the first "message" songs, along with In The Ghetto. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Elvis did not do that originally. That's all I got....peace....
I'm older and have children, 2 , a boy and a girl. I think it's relevant and it should be listened to. Pay attention to your children and care about there interests, get involved in a caring loving way and maybe they won't end up like the son.
No one has mentioned my nominee for worst song. Lame guitar riffs, bad vocals, stupid story and an amazingly forced rhyme scheme can only add up to "Emma" by Hot Chocolate.
Brother West- I LOVE this record. You just have to listen to it in the right frame of mind, ie really, really high. If you listened to this while you were seriously triping your frickin' BALLS OFF it would be the funniest thing EVER.
That's especially true of the tag at the end where the dad is crying and the son's ghost is distinctly taunting him with the "Things get a little easier.." Yeah, you showed him, didn't you son?
You may THINK it is the worst hit song of all time; however, I am in my mid 40's and I constantly am reminded of that song and I haven't heard it on the radio in years. So there must be something to the simplicity of it!
I heard this song as a 12 year old on the radio in Australia in 1973. I went and bought a copy. I nearly wore it out playing it to my friends. We would piss ourselves laughing at the sobbing father!!! Yes, it is one of the worst records of all time but it is also one of the funniest. Thankyou Michael J Clarke for reminding me of this forgotten gem.
^^ nice blog!! ^@^
徵信,徵信網,徵信社,徵信社,感情挽回,婚姻挽回,挽回婚姻,挽回感情,徵信,徵信社,徵信,徵信,捉姦,徵信公司,通姦,通姦罪,抓姦,抓猴,捉猴,捉姦,監聽,調查跟蹤,反跟蹤,外遇問題,徵信,捉姦,女人徵信,女子徵信,外遇問題,女子徵信, 外遇,徵信公司,徵信網,外遇蒐證,抓姦,抓猴,捉猴, 調查跟蹤,反跟蹤,感情挽回,挽回感情,婚姻挽回,挽回婚姻,外遇沖開,抓姦, 女子徵信,外遇蒐證,外遇,通姦,通姦罪,贍養費,徵信,徵信社,抓姦,徵信,徵信公司,徵信社,徵信公司,徵信社,徵信公司,女人徵信,
徵信,徵信網,徵信社, 徵信網,外遇,徵信,徵信社,抓姦,徵信,女人徵信,徵信社,女人徵信社,外遇,抓姦,徵信公司,徵信社,徵信社,徵信社,徵信社,徵信社,女人徵信社,徵信社,徵信,徵信社,徵信,女子徵信社,女子徵信社,女子徵信社,女子徵信社, 徵信,徵信社, 徵信,徵信社, 徵信社,
徵信,徵信社,徵信,徵信社,徵信,徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信,徵信社,徵信, 徵信社,徵信,徵信社,徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 外遇, 抓姦, 離婚, 外遇,離婚,
徵信社,徵信,徵信社,徵信,徵信社,徵信,徵信社,徵信社,徵信,外遇, 抓姦, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信社, 徵信社, 徵信社,徵信,徵信, 徵信,外遇, 抓姦
徵徵徵徵徵徵徵信徵徵徵徵徵徵外遇抓姦離婚婚前徵信工商徵信尋人大陸抓姦法律諮詢家暴徵徵徵徵婚前徵信工商徵信外遇抓姦尋人離婚家暴大陸抓姦感情挽回徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵
徵徵徵徵徵婚姻挽回徵徵徵徵徵大陸抓姦徵徵徵尋人徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵
徵徵徵徵徵徵大陸抓姦徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵,徵信,徵信社
I lived in St. Petersburg, FL when this song came out and I was about 12. Vans painted with flowers and signs of "Make love, not war" seemed to be in every grocery store parking lot. A childhood memory I'll never forget is the "flower children" in front of the grocery store entrances trying to hand you a single flower as you went in.
Pot was being bought and sold like candy; in school classrooms and out. Parents didn't know what hit home when their kids started talking to them saying many of the exact same things kids on this record say.
I remember Art Linkletter's daughter committed suicide during the time this song came out and it hit hard in our neighborhood. We all connected with the whole song. Parents were scared, didn't know what the hell drugs were that you could buy on the street or understand why anyone would. Kids couldn't understand why parents thought they could run every kids life. All of it seemed to hit and come to a head all at the same time. The only way to keep the peace and understand each other is to open our eyes and really see what's going on out there.
Back then, parents were first unaware of pot and LSD was so far off anyones' list as an "experimental drug" that it wasn't just strange to hear someone had "OD'd", it was totally confusing. I heard lots of parents ask my father what would make their kids take drugs, where did they get them, what do the drugs do to you etc.
Pot was the next best thing you could do back then besides go behind your parents back and smoke cigarettes, drink and cuss!
I remember clearly the biggest things going on right before pot came to our elementary school was people being unfairly accused of being communists, the vietnam war on TV and plane hijacking being so scary for people no one dare say the words out loud in an airport.
All I really know is pot, acid, mushrooms, needles, some really hard addicting drugs all hit the scene at once and it just blew parents right out of the water. Up till then, I believe rock and roll was the worst they thought they'd personally have to suffer through and that was bad enough.
So good song or no, Lou and his song writing partner put one thing across with those lyrics that hit everyone different ways. That things are easier once you understand them, and during that time parents didn't understand the sudden and total disrespect teenagers seemed to take on overnight and teenagers became empowered quickly knowing things their parents couldn't dream up because of drugs. And it hurt both sides and still does to this day for many.
Post a Comment
<< Home